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KINDERHOOK, N. Y., THE VILLAGE BEAUTIF 

THE STORY OF TO-DAY 




!OME five miles east of the Hudson River, 
in the heart of Columbia County, on a 
high rolling plateau overlooking the val- 
ley of the Hudson, nestles the village of 
Kinderhook. Nature has adorned the 
cite with a lavish hand. Scenes more beautiful are 
rarely found in any region, for here God and man 
have striven together in all that combines to make a 
haven of rest amid the splendors of rural surround- 

'"^* The village is bordered on every side with large 
productive farms, where modern methods prevail in 
cultivating the soil. The Kinderhook Creek, famed m 
song and story, flows along its eastern border from 
its source in the Taconic Mountains on its wmdmg 
way to where it empties into the majestic Hudson. 

The streets are wide and well laid, overarched by 
the lordly elm and stately maple. In the center of the 
village a triangular granite-bordered park adds to the 
attractiveness of the business section of the com- 
munity. J 

Here the main state roads diverge east and west 
from the Berkshire Hills to the Catskill Mountains, 
and north and south from Albany to New York. 
Touring parties in their autos from all over the Empire 
state pass through the village on their journey to 

and fro. 

Bordering the main streets, concrete sidewalks 
extend in every direction, and electric arc and incan- 



descent lights dispell the gloom of night 
air of modern progress, combined with rus 
The third rail electric system of tl 
Southern Railroad Company connects wit 
transit line the village and its adjoining he 
Albany and Hudson, covering an hour's 
Capitol City and thirty minutes to Hudson, 
at either end with the Boston and Alban 
the New York Central, and other trunk 
traverse the state. 

Village life in Kinderhook leaves 1 
desired. With a population of one thou 
its people enjoy all the social advantages 
part of an aristocratic community, when 
and fumes of industrial plants are lacking. 
The Lindenwald Grange Hall, forme 
Kinderhook Academy, serves as a mee 
recreation and lecture auditorium for the t 
or more members of the Grange. 

The Village Hall, besides being the 1 
Fire Department, which is one of the best 
ped in the state, also serves as a place 
entertainment. 

Religious worship is a conspicuous tr 
villagers,°the different churches having a 
tendance than those in many communit 
population. The various denominations < 
Dutch Reformed, Episcopal, Methodist 
A. M. E. i ; • 



The Kinderhook High School among rural insti- 
tutions ranks with the best in the state, and is housed 
in a well constructed building, and is devoted not 
only to the higher education of the children of the 
village but of the surrounding farms. 

Kinderhook Chapter, No. 264, R. A. M., was or- 
ganized February 22, 1872, and is one of the largest 
organizations of Masons in the county. It is comfort- 
ably quarted in the Lindenwald Hotel, and here the 
local chapter Eda, of the Eastern Star, also maintains 
its quarters. 

Three hotels for the accommodation of tourists 
and commercial travelers add to the bustle of the village. 

The National Union Bank organized in 1853 has 
a capital of two hundred thousand dollars, serves 
Kinderhook and many of the adjoining villages, and 
the neighboring territory in a financial way. 

The Kinderhook Knitting Company, which oc- 
cupies a modern electrically equipped three story 



brick building on the village square, | 
highest grade of knit goods which find a 
ket throughout the entire country. T 
gives employment to many who prefer ol 
industry to the tilling of the soil. 

Telephone and telegraph service co 
lage and farms and the general trade st 
to-date in every respect. 

There has lately been completed th 
dern fireproof garage between Albany 
keepsie, capable of housing thirty machii 
expert repair department attached. 

So Kinderhook, charms the tourist a: 
of to-day. And as in the days of old, 
heartstrings of those who have gone be 
maintains a warm spot in the hearts ol 
leave its borders now, and follow pursuit) 

WILL 



KINDERHOOK — THE CHILDREN'S CORNl 

THE STORY OF YESTERDAY 




ERMONS, according to our Shakespeare, are 
sometimes found in stones ; and so we turn to 
the houses and streets of our towns and villages 
to learn the story of the days of long ago. 

The founding of Kinderhook harks back to 
the early days of the settlement of New 
Amsterdam by the Dutch. Perhaps it was in 
the generation following the discovery by Hendrick Hudson 
in 1609 of the river that now bears his name. 

The word " Kinderhook " signifies in the Dutch tongue 
"The Children's Comer " and is supposed to have been ap- 
plied to this locality by Hendrick Hudson himself on account 
of the many Indian children, who had assembled on the 
bluffs along the [river to watch his strange vessel sailing up 
the stream. 

However, the name of Kinderhook appears on a map 
of New Netherland as early as 1614. In 1656 a traveler 



from Holland wrote of Kinderhook as being 
cipal settlements along the Hudson. 

The settlers who were mostly Holland 
Swedes, built their houses along the river i 
along the banks of the Stockport, Kinderhoo 
Creeks. 

In its early days Kinderhook embraced a 
Stuyvesant and part of Chatham, Stockport . 
had at that time about double its present are. 
some twenty thousand eight hundred acres, 
about double its width, and extends from 
about eight miles. 

Previous to the settlement of the territor 
man, presumably about 1640, the country w 
a tribe of the Mohican Indians, under a chief 
who possessed the entire tract, inclusive of ' 
lage site. 






Owing to many adversities the settlement grew but 
slowly In 1714 its population including children and slaves, 

""^^'ialy^afc^f^^^^^^^ f» t"'- 

in^ in the village were built, with huge oaken timbers hewn 

rom the fore^f on the premises and of brick brought from 

Holland. The two earliest of these bear the dates, 1721 

^'^^The^Dutch church traces its history as far back as 
1660. For fifty years thereafter a pastor from Albany 
held irregular services there. , „ . , ^„ i .l_ 

In 1712 the church was ormally ^^g^^'^f^'f^fg*?! 
first nermanent structure bmlt about 1730. In 181.J-ia 
fh" second structure was built on the s.te of that now oc- 
cuDied This building was destroyed by fire m 1867, and 
rS^miructed in 1869. The Methodist church was organ- 
iSdhi 1843, and a meeting house built m 1844. In 1871 
ivTnresent church was dedicated. St. Paul's Episcopal 
?hurcTwal organized in 1850. Its building aed-^,- 
1852, was remodeled and enlarged in 187Z. Ihe cetnei 

^- Ve SsTfch^St 3ttfn'Ki^fe\ook was Hendrick 
Abelsen. He combined with his duties the of f ice of church 
nrecentor, and the term bf his service was some time previ- 
Sis to 1700. In 1778 Andrew Mayfield Carshore opened an 
English school, which later became the K»nderhook 
Acldemy In 1823 a new building was erected which 
£ter became -adequate, and a larger one was buiU m 
1 836, which is now used as the Grange Hall. 1 he present 
Grammar and High School was built in 1877. 

The history of the old houses of Kinderhook would fill 
many a page. The Centennial Mansion, built by David Van 
sSiaack in 1774 entertained many men promment m Amer- 
icanSoTy. In 1777 General Burgoyne passing through 
here as a prisoner of war, was entertained at the mansion. 
Later Aa^^n Burr was a guest. In Martin Van Buren s 
time Henry Clay, Washington Irving, Thomas H. Benton, 
SiGTs'WriS, William H. Marcy, Samuel Tilden, and many 

^^^^TheTaVAlerHoTestead near Lindenwald was built 
in 1737 and here was bom the gifted Peter L Van Alen, 
who was kUled in a duel by William H. Crawford^ after- 
waJds sLretary of the Treasury under President Munroe. 
Here alsriived Katrina Van Alen, the prototype of Katnna 
Van Tassel, the belle of Washington rving's Legend of 
Sleepy Hollow." Nearby stands the old white schoolhouse 
on the very site of the school of Ichabod Crane, the or.gmal 
of whom Tn that tale was Jesse Mervin. It should be re- 
membered that it was here, while Irving was a guest of Judge 



Van Ness at Lindenwald in 1809, he found the 
the characters in that famous story. , _. _ , 

Lindenwald Mansion was built m 1797 by 
Van Ness, who was an officer in the French wai 
ward a commander of the regiment at the de 
goyne in 1777. One of his sons, William P. Va 
succeeded him as master of the homestead, wa 
friend of Aaron Burr and was the bearer ot th 
and was also Burr's second at the duel with 

Hamilton. . , . n -j . 

Martin Van Buren, the eighth President a 
States, was born in Kinderhook, December 5 
rudely constructed house conducted m part as 
stood on a knoll on the old Post road near the C 
of this house is embodied in another on the sa 
Van Buren was the first American-born Preside 
decessors were all born under the English tlag < 
Great Britain. He was also the first representai 
Empire State to occupy the White House. He 
Vice-President nominated by a national convent 
held the same distinction in respect to the Presi 
more public offices of consequence than any ott 
statesman. His years were freighted with distm 
ice to his party and country. His was a strong cl 
gracious manners. The disciple of Jefferson, th^ 
Jackson, the inspirer of Tilden. Van Buren 1 
place in the Democratic heart. When Van t 
from public life about 1841 he purchased 
with its two hundred odd acres bordenng on th 
Judge William P. Van Ness, under whom he 1 
studied law in New York. Here he lived the life 
gentleman. The " Sage of Kinderhook, lh< 
Fox " " The Little Magician were some of th< 
bore, and his home was the Mecca for many 
men and other prominent men of his day^ 
eighty years of age he died at his home in Km 
24, 1862, and rests in the village cemetery v 
granite shaft marks the spot. . ^. , , , 
It is claimed that the town of Kinderhook 
more public men than any other town in the c 
other special mention might be made ot the lat 
al John W. Philip, U. S. N., who was born 
here, and for a long time resident of the viilag 
words when commanding the battleship 1 exa 
victory of Santiago, puts him by the side c 
knight. Sir Philip Sidney. Turning to his crevj 
the destruction of the Spanish cruiser Oquend. 
" Don't Cheer, Men— the Poor Devils Are Dyii 



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THE KINDERHOOK CREEK AND THE COVERED BRIDGES 



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THE CATSKILL MOUNTAINS FROM LOVER'S LEAP, KINDERHOOK 



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ACROSS THE VALLEY TO PROSPECT HILL 



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REFORMED DUTCH CHURCH 
METHODIST EPISCOPAL CHURCH 



ST. PAUL'S EPISCOPAL CHURCH 
BETHEL A. M. E. CHURCH 



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THE VILLAGE SQUARE, LOOKING NORTH 



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RESIDENCE OF MRS. GEORGE D. EARL 
RESIDENCE OF MRS. AARON J. VANDERPOEL 



RESIDENCE OF LEWIS L. MORRELL 
RESIDENCE OF HON. CHAS. D. HAINES 



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BROAD STREET, LOOKING WEST FROM THE SQUARE 



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" LINDENWALD " THE HOME OF MARTIN VAN BUREN 
Built by Judge Peter Van Ne»i in 1797 



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PORTRAIT OF MARTIN VAN BUREN 
THE HOUSE IN WHICH HE WAS BORN 



HIS MONUMENT IN THE VILLAGE CEMETERY 
THE PLACE AS IT IS TODAY 



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RESIDENCE OF JAMES ADGER REYNOLDS 
RESIDENCE OF FRANK B. VAN ALSTYNE 



RESIDENCE OF GERRIT S. COLLIER 
RESIDENCE OF MRS. BARENT VAN ALSTYNE 





ALBANY AVENUE, LOOKING NORTH FROM THE SQUARE 



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VILLAGE CEMETERY AND MONUMENT TO MARTIN VAN BUREN 



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RESIDENCE OF FREDERICK W. HOWARD 
RESIDENCE OF DATUS C. SMITH 



RESIDENCE OF HON. ALONZO H. FARRAR 
RESIDENCE OF MISS ELIZABETH WYNKOOP 



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THE OLD VAN ALEN HOMESTEAD, Built in 1737 THE WHITE SCHOOLHOOSE ON THE SITE 

OF THE ICHABOD CRANE SCHOOL OF THE "LEGEND OF SLEEPY HOLLOW" 



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RESIDENCE OF^ EDWARD RISEDORPH 
RESIDENCE OF FRANK PALMER 



RESIDENCE OF DR. T. FLOYD WOODWORTH 
RESIDENCE OF GEORGE W. RAUTMYER 




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CHATHAM STREET, LOOKING EAST FROM VILLAGE HALL 




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KINDERHOOK LAKE AND ELECTRIC PARK FROM THE POINT 




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RESIDENCE OF JOHN NINK, Built About 1700 
THE OLD BRICK HOUSE, 1766 



RESIDENCE OF WM. B. VAN ALSTYNE, 1721 
RESIDENCE OF MRS. SARAH CHRYSLER. 1770 



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LIBRARY OF CONGRESS 



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